Which State Has the Best Value for Internet

By using metrics available from Ookla’s Speedtest, you can see how your state stacks up against the rest in terms of average speed, value (cost per Mbps), promise (advertised speeds vs. speeds actually delivered), and connection quality. But just as HighSpeedInternet.com compiles information on Internet plans available in your area so you don’t have to, we’ve compiled the numbers on this data, too.
First, a disclaimer: differences in methodology mean that some numbers, such as average speed, might not match numbers we’ve published from other analytics firms like Akamai. Rather than focus on any discrepancies, we’re going to treat Ookla’s numbers as a complete data set. That said, the complete statistics are as follows.

Download speed in Mbps (national average 36.16)

Cost per Mbps (national average $3.51)

Promise Index (national average 93.26)

Quality Score (national average 86.53)

Alabama

28.77

$3.99

93.35

86.71

Alaska

27.90

$8.07

95.54

N/A

Arizona

37.56

$2.94

89.93

N/A

Arkansas

24.87

$4.86

85.88

83.70

California

41.91

$3.30

96.17

85.74

Colorado

41.75

$3.07

81.24

84.98

Connecticut

34.26

$3.05

94.81

88.48

Delaware

41.13

$2.31

100.04

N/A

Florida

33.96

$3.44

97.04

86.01

Georgia

30.63

$3.80

93.82

87.44

Hawaii

32.73

$3.55

95.65

80.89

Idaho

24.82

$3.03

73.73

N/A

Illinois

31.55

$3.52

91.19

84.77

Indiana

27.73

$3.77

92.43

86.95

Iowa

29.23

$3.50

85.79

81.28

Kansas

44.89

$4.49

91.03

80.46

Kentucky

18.90

$3.73

93.36

83.83

Louisiana

32.33

$3.79

92.18

N/A

Maine

17.90

$4.93

83.07

86.91

Maryland

39.65

$3.23

96.23

88.21

Massachusetts

39.75

$2.91

96.10

87.16

Michigan

30.52

$3.52

94.09

85.75

Minnesota

28.06

$3.35

86.21

N/A

Mississippi

24.81

$3.62

87.57

N/A

Missouri

43.34

$3.69

88.22

85.81

Montana

25.54

$4.81

80.30

N/A

Nebraska

27.26

$3.55

89.04

N/A

Nevada

37.79

$4.06

90.25

87.07

New Hampshire

35.98

$3.49

95.32

N/A

New Jersey

41.00

$2.84

98.71

88.06

New Mexico

23.62

$4.19

80.82

N/A

New York

41.88

$3.12

98.35

86.07

North Carolina

23.91

$3.64

96.24

85.66

North Dakota

41.69

$2.85

79.65

N/A

Ohio

22.19

$3.60

94.86

86.09

Oklahoma

33.63

$3.95

90.58

86.41

Oregon

36.40

$3.07

90.46

88.31

Pennsylvania

32.83

$3.84

94.52

86.07

Rhode Island

42.30

$2.37

99.57

N/A

South Carolina

26.79

$3.77

92.23

83.85

South Dakota

35.86

$3.07

95.03

N/A

Tennessee

37.80

$3.38

93.04

88.57

Texas

41.36

$3.75

93.07

85.88

Utah

43.63

$3.27

86.27

N/A

Vermont

24.60

$7.16

82.57

50.07

Virginia

37.93

$3.31

94.60

87.00

Washington

47.16

$3.38

88.54

88.11

West Virginia

32.29

$4.13

81.45

N/A

Wisconsin

23.83

$3.74

94.23

87.96

Wyoming

30.43

$3.72

81.87

N/A

When sorted by speed, the results look like this:
And when sorted by value, we get:

Download speed in Mbps (national average 36.16)

Cost per Mbps (national average $3.51)

Promise Index (national average 93.26)

Quality Score (national average 86.53)

Alaska

27.90

$8.07

95.54

N/A

Vermont

24.60

$7.16

82.57

50.07

Maine

17.90

$4.93

83.07

86.91

Arkansas

24.87

$4.86

85.88

83.70

Montana

25.54

$4.81

80.30

N/A

Kansas

44.89

$4.49

91.03

80.46

New Mexico

23.62

$4.19

80.82

N/A

West Virginia

32.29

$4.13

81.45

N/A

Nevada

37.79

$4.06

90.25

87.07

Alabama

28.77

$3.99

93.35

86.71

Oklahoma

33.63

$3.95

90.58

86.41

Pennsylvania

32.83

$3.84

94.52

86.07

Georgia

30.63

$3.80

93.82

87.44

Louisiana

32.33

$3.79

92.18

N/A

Indiana

27.73

$3.77

92.43

86.95

South Carolina

26.79

$3.77

92.23

83.85

Texas

41.36

$3.75

93.07

85.88

Wisconsin

23.83

$3.74

94.23

87.96

Kentucky

18.90

$3.73

93.36

83.83

Wyoming

30.43

$3.72

81.87

N/A

Missouri

43.34

$3.69

88.22

85.81

North Carolina

23.91

$3.64

96.24

85.66

Mississippi

24.81

$3.62

87.57

N/A

Ohio

22.19

$3.60

94.86

86.09

Hawaii

32.73

$3.55

95.65

80.89

Nebraska

27.26

$3.55

89.04

N/A

Illinois

31.55

$3.52

91.19

84.77

Michigan

30.52

$3.52

94.09

85.75

Iowa

29.23

$3.50

85.79

81.28

New Hampshire

35.98

$3.49

95.32

N/A

Florida

33.96

$3.44

97.04

86.01

Tennessee

37.80

$3.38

93.04

88.57

Washington

47.16

$3.38

88.54

88.11

Minnesota

28.06

$3.35

86.21

N/A

Virginia

37.93

$3.31

94.60

87.00

California

41.91

$3.30

96.17

85.74

Utah

43.63

$3.27

86.27

N/A

Maryland

39.65

$3.23

96.23

88.21

New York

41.88

$3.12

98.35

86.07

Colorado

41.75

$3.07

81.24

84.98

Oregon

36.40

$3.07

90.46

88.31

South Dakota

35.86

$3.07

95.03

N/A

Connecticut

34.26

$3.05

94.81

88.48

Idaho

24.82

$3.03

73.73

N/A

Arizona

37.56

$2.94

89.93

N/A

Massachusetts

39.75

$2.91

96.10

87.16

North Dakota

41.69

$2.85

79.65

N/A

New Jersey

41.00

$2.84

98.71

88.06

Rhode Island

42.30

$2.37

99.57

N/A

Delaware

41.13

$2.31

100.04

N/A

Beyond Numbers
The numbers themselves are interesting, but using the numbers to search for correlation is much more interesting. When looking for correlations, it helps to look for the states at the extreme end of one score. For example, the three states with the highest value are Delaware, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. These states are also ranked 1-3 promise index, and in the same order. But that connection doesn’t hold true for every state: Alaska ranks dead last in value, but 12th in promise index.
Vermont is dead last in connection quality among states that received a score; it was also 49th in value, 45th in speed, and 44th in promise index. However, Tennessee, which had the highest connection quality, was 25th in promise index, 19th in value, and 17th in speed. So rather than a correlation between connection quality and value, it looks as if Vermont just needs to step it up.
There’s plenty of correlation throughout the data, but not enough to imply causation. We can’t say that states with faster connections or better quality offer a better value. But what if we compare data from Ookla with data from other sources?
Cost of Living
This sounds promising, right? It would make at least some sense for states that are more expensive to live in to have a lower value score. Based on data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, there’s at least some correlation. Alaska, which has the lowest Internet value, has the 4th highest cost of living. But Hawaii, which has the highest cost of living, offers better Internet value than Mississippi, which has the highest cost of living.
Population
Sorting the results based on 2014 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau offers no meaningful correlation. California and Utah, the first and 33rd most populous states, respectively, have nearly identical value scores.
Population Density
We know that rural areas with lower populations often have lower Internet speeds because the per capita infrastructure cost is too high. Again using U.S. Census Bureau data, we find that Alaska has the lowest population density and worst Internet value. New Jersey and Rhode Island are first and second in population density, and second and third in value, respectively.
That sounds like correlation so far. If we create 10-state blocks, so that states 1-10 have the highest population density, and states 41-50 have the lowest, we see these numbers:
1-10: $3.07
11-20: $3.56
21-30: $4.08
31-40: $3.78
41-50: $4.04
It’s so close to looking like correlation, but Vermont really skews the results for states 21-30. If we remove Vermont, the average for that block is $3.74, and we finally have a pattern. We told you Vermont had to up its game. Even so, we suspect this is the closest we’re going to get to finding causation, rather than correlation, between Internet cost and other factors.
Conclusions
Based on Ookla data, Delaware has the best Internet in the nation, and is the only state to deliver more speed than promised. Vermont has the worst Internet in the nation, with a quality score significantly lower than any other state. And population density is more closely correlated than speed or cost of living to Internet value.
How Does Your Plan Compare?
Does your Internet connection beat the state average for speed or value? If you’re not sure, it’s easy to find out. Ookla can test your speed and let you know. If you find out your plan is below average, why not look for a better one? And as we said at the beginning, you don’t have to do research to find out how many competitors are in your area, and how that affects pricing. Let us do that for you.
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Photo Credit: Nick Aldwin/Flikr

About the Author

Will Smith is a copywriter living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His favorite word is “petrichor,” and aside from wordplay, he loves reading history, watching Dodger baseball, and racing with the Sports Car Club of America.